Sea Dogs, Betts batter Rock Cats

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — Mookie Betts continued his torrid start Saturday night. So did the Portland Sea Dogs.

Coincidence?

Betts went 4 for 5, raising his batting average to a Little League-esque .453 as the Sea Dogs – make that the first-place Sea Dogs – rolled to a 6-1 victory against the New Britain Rock Cats.

Portland (10-4) has won four straight and 8 of 9, taking over sole possession of first place in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League when Reading fell to Harrisburg, 10-3.

The Sea Dogs will be off Sunday, part of the league-wide day off for Easter, then open a four-game series Monday at Binghamton.

The next homestand starts Friday night against Trenton.

Among Betts’ hits was a homer to left leading off the top of the ninth. He also singled to lead off the game, sparking a two-run first, singled in the third, and hit a single in the fifth, when the Sea Dogs also scored.

Winning pitcher Mike Augliera (2-1) pitched six scoreless innings, allowing three hits and two walks, lowering his earned-run average to 3.70.

Mike McCarthy and Matt Ott had holds over two innings, and Robby Scott pitched an uneventful ninth, allowing a single and striking out two.

Shannon Wilkerson and Travis Shaw drove in runs in the first, Stefan Welch in the fifth and Henry Ramos in the eighth. Another run scored on a wild pitch.

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